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Like this Bulls roster needed yet another reason to become even closer.

But there it was on Friday, provided by the bad boy of the Bucks, Grayson Allen, in the third-quarter of the eventual loss to the defending champions.

A Flagrant 2 that had dangerous and excessive written all over it, as Allen hooked the arm of an airborne Alex Caruso, sending him spiraling hard to the ground and landing on his wrist.

Caruso did say after that his wrist was sore, he called the play “bulls–t,” and added that at no point did Allen come over to at least check on him.

As a matter of fact, while the play was being reviewed the sideline cameras clearly showed Allen smirking, offering up very little remorse for what took place.

None of it sat well with Bulls coach Billy Donovan, who also brought up Allen’s history of cheap shots and tripping opponents back in his days as a Dukie.

“I have a lot of respect for ‘Bud’ [Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer] and these guys are all professional athletes,” Donovan said. “Nothing towards ‘Bud’ at all. But I just think to do that to a player is just really … you could have really, really jeopardized his career in a lot of ways. I don’t know what his response would be to it, maybe he didn’t mean to do it’ I don’t know. I just know the play looked really, really bad [for] a guy that’s got a history of doing that, all the way back to college.”

But beating the Bulls, knocking them out of the top seed in the Eastern Conference, and coming close to taking out the heart and soul of the team in Caruso wasn’t enough for the Bucks obviously.

The final tongue-out moment was provided Saturday, when the team went to its Twitter account, sending out a GIF of Allen showing off a donut, before taking a chomp out of it, with “Good Morning” as the text underneath it.

It was a promotion for Bucks-Kings, but felt more like a middle finger to the Bulls and the fan base. Then again, when Milwaukee – at least publicly – felt that Allen did nothing wrong, trolling the Bulls the next day just comes with the territory.

“I think Grayson, nothing malicious, went to block the shot,” Budenholzer said. “I think it’s a close call. They went with Flagrant 2 and I’m not going to disagree. It’s right on the border and that’s the direction they went. Hope for Caruso to be healthy and fine coming out of it, he played a lot after. It’s unfortunate for Grayson, unfortunate for us to finish without him. It’s a tough call but that’s the way they went.”

As far as Milwaukee was concerned, the Allen who was suspended for a whopping one game at Duke and lost his title as team captain, was not the same guy that plays for them.

It was just his second career Flagrant 2, and he was booted from a Summer League game back in 2019 when he picked up two flagrant fouls in eight seconds, all but punching a Boston player in the back of the head, but they had their guy’s back.

“I don’t think Grayson’s a dirty player,” Milwaukee forward Khris Middleton said. “He’s been great with us all season long. Competing, defending, never really crossing the line. So I think we’re all disappointed to see him ejected for that foul.”

So how will – and should – the Bulls react? Just like they have with adversity throughout the entire season. To a man, even the veteran players have gushed that this is one of the tightest groups they’ve played with, enough so that the front office is actually concerned with making a trade just because of how it will mess with chemistry.

Let this incident simmer. They’ll see the Bucks three more times, with the next coming Mar. 4 at the United Center.

Having a common enemy until then is a good thing.

And when they do play in Chicago, well, “close calls” happen.

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Please send scores and corrections to [email protected].

Saturday, January 22, 2022

RED NORTH-WEST

Marshall at Clark, 5:00

WHITE CENTRAL

Catalyst-Maria at Dunbar, 5:00

WHITE WEST

Wells at Jones, 2:00

BLUE NORTH

ASPIRA at Disney, 5:00

BLUE WEST

Juarez at Phoenix, 2:30

CENTRAL SUBURBAN NORTH

Highland Park at Maine East, 5:00

CENTRAL SUBURBAN SOUTH

Glenbrook North at Maine South, 6:00

FOX VALLEY

Huntley at Crystal Lake Central, 1:30

INTERSTATE EIGHT

Kaneland at LaSalle-Peru, 6:00

Ottawa at Sycamore, 6:00

LITTLE TEN

Serena at IMSA, 7:00

MID-SUBURBAN WEST

Fremd at Conant, 6:00

NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY

Antioch at Grayslake North, 1:30

Grayslake Central at Round Lake, 1:30

Lakes at North Chicago, 7:00

Wauconda at Grant, 2:30

RIVER VALLEY

Gardner-South Wilmington at Clifton Central, 6:30

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN CROSSOVER

Stagg at Sandburg, 3:00

NONCONFERENCE

Alden-Hebron at Hinckley-Big Rock, ppd.

Aurora Central at IC Catholic, 8:00

Beecher at Watseka, 7:30

Belvidere North at Crystal Lake South, 2:30

Bishop McNamara at Cissna Park, ppd.

Bolingbrook at Joliet West, 1:30

Bulls Prep at Nazareth, 2:00

Coal City at Pontiac, 7:00

DeKalb at Streator, 5:15

Downers Grove South at Hinsdale Central, 3:00

Elmwood Park at Lisle, 5:00

Glenbard East at Willowbrook, 7:30

Glenbard South at Hoffman Estates, 6:00

Grant Park at Wilmington, 1:30

Harlan at Kankakee, 3:30

Homewood-Flossmoor at Bloom, 1:30

Illiana Christian, Ind. at Chicago Christian, 7:00

Intrinsic-Downtown at Intrinsic-Belmont, 1:00

Jacobs at St. Viator, 5:00

Lake Forest Academy at Culver, Ind., 10:00

Lake Park at Fenton, 6:00

Lake Zurich at Elk Grove, 3:00

Legal Prep at Providence-St. Mel, 12:30

Lockport at Plainfield North, 6:00

Maine West at Wheeling, 5:30

Marian Catholic at Danville, 6:00

Montini at St. Francis, 5:30

Morris at Oak Forest, 1:30

Mount Carmel at Jacksonville, 7:00

Naperville Central at Deerfield, 6:00

Oak Park-River Forest at Evanston, 4:00

Palatine at Mundelein, 5:30

Perspectives-MSA at Wheaton North, 3:00

Plainfield Central at Evergreen Park, 12:30

Plainfield South at Joliet Catholic, 5:00

Prospect at Stevenson, 5:30

Proviso East at Lyons, 5:00

Riverside-Brookfield at Fenwick, 5:30

Sandwich at Sterling, 6:00

Somonauk at Ottawa Marquette, 4:00

St. Charles North at Bartlett, 2:30

St. Martin at Cristo Rey, 1:00

Steinmetz at North Shore, 3:00

Streamwood at Rolling Meadows, 6:00

Taft at Notre Dame, 3:00

Timothy Christian at Northridge, 5:00

Walther Christian at Illinois Lutheran, 6:30

Waubonsie Valley at Oswego, 7:00

West Chicago at Addison Trail, ppd.

BATAVIA

Schaumburg vs. St. Charles East, 3:00

West Aurora vs. Rockford East, 4:30

Wheaton-Warrenville South vs. Orr, 6:00

Oswego East vs. Batavia, 7:30

BENET

New Trier vs. Yorkville Christian, 2:30

Simeon vs. Glenbrook South, 4:00

Young vs. Glenbard West, 6:00

Benet vs. St. Ignatius, 7:30

METAMORA

Lindblom vs. Metamora, 10:30

Bradley-Bourbonnais vs. Canton, 12:00

Canton vs. Lindblom, 3:30

Metamora vs. Bradley-Bourbonnais, 5:00

QUINCY

St. Rita vs. Link Academy, Mo., 4:30

SALEM

Effingham vs. TF North, 1:00

THORNWOOD

EPIC vs. Little Village, 10:30

Thornridge vs. Ag. Science, 12:00

Perspectives-LA vs. Prosser, 1:30

TF South vs. Brooks, 3:00

Thornwood vs. Parker, 4:30

Thornton vs. Tinley Park, 6:00

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The story of how Dave Power came to win more than 1,000 games coaching high school girls basketball started more than 50 years ago on the driveway outside his house in Glen Ellyn.

Power, then in seventh grade, was playing older sister Marge in a game of one-on-one.

”I felt I kind of went easy on her, and she beat me,” Power said. ”Then the second game, I remember trying to hip-check her, and she beat me again. Then I realized, ‘Oh, my gosh. These girls, they can play.’ ”

But until the passage of Title IX in 1972, girls mostly didn’t have the same opportunities to play that boys did. After that epiphany on the driveway, Power went on to play high school basketball and run college track. In the mid-1970s, he got his first job out of college at Proviso East.

With girls sports just starting up, the Pirates were looking for a sophomore basketball coach. Wanting to be part of the change he thought was needed, Power took the job. A year later, he got his first varsity head-coaching job at Proviso West. That’s where he got his first victory.

There’s a story about that victory against Fenton that shows how far girls and women’s sports have come in the last 45-plus years.

”Back then, the referees were PE teachers and coaches,” Power said. ”I’ll never forget this. It was late in the game, and I looked up at their scoreboard and it had a couple of bulbs out. I said: ‘What’s the score? Are we up 55-53?’

” ‘No, Coach, we’re up 55-53.’ ”

Those early days of homer officiating and decrepit scoreboards are long gone. Girls players have everything the boys have: summer leagues, AAU programs, high-profile tournaments and shootouts and the dream of playing in college and even the pros.

Power has done as much as anyone to help elevate the game in his three head-coaching stops. He won 82 games at Proviso West before moving to now-closed Immaculate Heart of Mary in 1982. He won his first state title there in 1987 to go with a third-place finish two years later.

Along the way, Power learned from some of the best coaches of the day. Two of his mentors were Tom Millikin and Glenn Whittenburg, who won boys state titles at Proviso East in 1969 and 1971.

And Power also coached girls track, girls tennis and girls softball.

”But basketball was my love and passion,” he said.

Then in the early 1990s, Power heard Fenwick was going coed and would be looking for a girls basketball coach. The opportunity to build a program from scratch at one of the great athletic powers in the Chicago area was too good to pass up.

He started with only a freshman class, and the first two years were lean ones: The Friars went 1-8 and 6-18.

Soon, however, Fenwick was among the elite programs in the state, just as IHM had been. In an 11-year span starting in 2000, the Friars won six state trophies, including championships in 2001 and 2007.

The last one was extra-special for Power because his daughter Erin was a key contributor with team highs of 15 assists and nine steals at state.

Now Power is 70 years old and taking a victory lap, ready to call it a career.

His third win this season, against Taft on Nov. 19, was his 1,000th. After wins over a strong Hersey team on Monday and Jones on Thursday, he’s at 1,009 and looking ahead to one more playoff run. He’s determined not to let anything get in the way, including the broken rib he suffered in a fall earlier this month. So why retire now?

”I wanted to see this team through,” he said. ”I thought about going one more year. But I said: ‘You know what? It’s time.’ I do hope I won’t be like Muhammad Ali where you retire, like, three times.

”In my mind, I think I’m totally done with it. But then there’s that little time I catch myself going: ‘Wait a minute. What if . . . ?’ Because it’s been a big part of my life.”

For all that, it does seem fitting to bow out with this group. Power stepped in to coach his seniors this year early in their AAU careers, making it a special group for him.

The feeling is mutual, according to senior guard Mia Caccitolo.

”I’ve been playing for him since fourth grade,” she said. ”He’s a legend.”

Which made that milestone victory against Taft even more meaningful.

”It was surreal,” Caccitolo said. ”We’ve been waiting for that moment. And to get it my senior year and a lot of my teammates’ senior year was pretty awesome.”

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MILWAUKEE — Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan wants the NBA to consider further discipline for Milwaukee Bucks guard Grayson Allen after he was ejected in the third quarter of Milwaukee’s 94-90 victory for a flagrant foul 2 on Bulls guard Alex Caruso.

Caruso went up for a layup on a fast break with 5:45 remaining in the third quarter, but Allen hooked Caruso’s right arm, turning Caruso in the air and sending him hard to the floor on his right wrist. Caruso said his wrist was “a little banged up” after the game, but X-rays came back negative.

“Dude just grabbed me out of the air,” Caruso said after Friday’s game. “It’s kind of bulls—. I don’t know what else you can do about it. I’m just glad that I didn’t have any major scary injuries right away.”

Caruso said his wrist continued to bother him in the second half, especially while shooting. He finished 1-of-6 from the field for 3 points in the second half, but said he did not think the injury would linger long term.

Caruso added that Allen did not come to check on him following the play.

The foul particularly irked Donovan, who is normally mild-mannered and rarely singles out players. But following Friday’s game, Donovan called Allen’s actions dangerous and cited his history playing college basketball at Duke.

“For Alex to be in the air and for [Allen] to take him down like that, he could’ve ended his career,” Donovan said. “He has a history of this. That to me was really — it was really dangerous. I hope the league takes a hard look at something like that because that could have really, really seriously hurt him.”

This was the first time Allen has been called for a flagrant foul this season and the second such foul in his career — although he was tossed from a Summer League game in 2019 after committing two flagrant fouls within seconds of each other.

“I don’t think Grayson’s a dirty player,” Bucks forward Khris Middleton said. “He’s been great with us all season long. Competing. Defending. Never really crossing the line. So I think we’re all disappointed to see him ejected for that foul.”

Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer did not think there was any malicious intent, but he did not argue with the referees decision to assess a flagrant foul 2.

“I think it’s a close call,” Budenholzer said. “They went with flagrant 2 and I’m not gonna disagree. It’s right on the border and that’s the direction they went. Just hope for Caruso to be healthy and fine coming out of it. Unfortunate for Grayson, unfortunate for us to have to finish without him. It’s a tough call, but that’s the way they went.”

It’s the first time in Allen’s NBA career that he has been ejected.

“I know this is a physical game and there’s plays at the basket and there’s a lot of contact,” Donovan said, “but there’s a right way you can go up and have physicality when you do that. Not that way in my opinion.”

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After seven consecutive losing seasons and a painstaking rebuild, the White Sox are well into their competitive window to contend for their stated goal of winning multiple championships.

And here we are, two full seasons into it and starting to watch the clock, coming to the realization that the window won’t stay open forever.

Jose Abreu, the 2020 American League MVP and eight-year rock of a run producer since he arrived in 2014, is in the final year of a three-year contract. Lucas Giolito, the Opening Day starter the last two seasons, can become a free agent after 2023. Catcher Yasmani Grandal has two years left on his deal, as does All-Star right-hander Lance Lynn (with a club option for 2024).

Shortstop Tim Anderson can become a free agent after 2024, and closer Liam Hendriks is signed through 2024.

Nothing lasts forever.

Built to last a good while, though, with numerous long-term contracts in place for Anderson, Yoan Moncada, Luis Robert, Eloy Jimenez and Aaron Bummer, the Sox nonetheless embark on 2022 feeling some sense of urgency for the first time.

With a sizable collection of win/win player-contract deals for both the organization and players who signed ahead of arbitration and free-agency seasons, they’ve got a good thing going and will be favored to repeat as division champs and to play in the postseason for a third consecutive year.

Opportunity can be fleeting, and the Sox know the opportunity is now.

Fans know it, too. Especially those who remember 1994, when a players strike sidelined a 67-46 Sox team many thought was headed to the World Series. With labor strife threatening an on-time start to this season, imagine the damage fans would suffer from another work stoppage.

After enduring three seasons of tanking and seven straight losing seasons with a collective total of 151 games under .500, the Sox are built to win now, thanks to a teardown that began with the Chris Sale trade at the 2016 winter meetings, a deal that came one month after the Cubs saw their rebuild written into a perfect ending with a World Series title.

“Going through it was painful, watching the team lose [95 games in 2017 and 100 in 2018], but I always knew we had a plan, and we were working our plan, and ultimately the plan was going to work,” chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said after the Sox clinched the division title in September.

“The real plan is we want to be competitive year after year. It’s very hard to win one title, let alone multiple titles. I just want us to be playing meaningful games every October.”

Fans want that, too, but they also want October success, which hasn’t happened with consecutive one-and-done showings in the 2020 and ’21 postseasons.

The Sox were 1-2 in the wild-card series against the Athletics in Oakland after going 35-25 in the abbreviated 2020 schedule and 1-3 in the best-of-five American League Division Series against the Astros in 2021 after going 93-69 and winning a soft AL Central. The Sox will be staunch favorites to repeat, but the division will be stronger.

Success is far from guaranteed.

“The hardest thing to do is win the division,” manager Tony La Russa told the Chicago Sun-Times in November. “It’s the hardest by a lot. Trials and tribulations, ups and downs through the season. But the most exciting thing is the playoffs, a short series that can be determined by one pitch or play. If your best isn’t good enough then it’s ‘how do we make ourselves better?’ ”

The Sox haven’t been good enough in October since they rolled through an 11-1 postseason to the 2005 World Series championship. They are 0-3 in postseason series with a 3-8 record in games played since.

Reinsdorf brought La Russa out of retirement believing he was the best man to make a difference in the end. La Russa, who won three World Series with other teams, knows it isn’t easy, even with great teams.

“Like I said, the reality is getting to the playoffs [is the most difficult thing],” La Russa said. “But if you don’t win the whole thing . . .”

His voice trailed off.

If you don’t, the reality is no one, from the owner to the fans, is happy or satisfied.

Just ask the Giants, the best team in baseball for almost all of 2021.

“A hundred and seven wins [in the regular season], and the Giants were out in the first round,” La Russa said. “But that’s why it’s so much fun, because once you get there, anything can happen.

And there are only so many “getting theres” to be had.

WHITE SOX CONTRACT CONTROL

Player Contract Status

Jose Abreu — Signed through 2022

Dallas Keuchel — Signed through 2022, vesting option for 2023 (with 160 innings pitched in ’22)

Craig Kimbrel — Signed through 2022

Yasmani Grandal — Signed through 2023

Lucas Giolito — Free agent after 2023

Reynaldo Lopez — Free agent after 2023

Lance Lynn — Signed through 2023, club option 2024

Liam Hendriks — Signed through 2024

Tim Anderson — Signed through 2022,club options for 2023-24.

Kendall Graveman — Signed through 2024

Leury Garcia — Signed through 2024

Yoan Moncada — Signed through 2024, club option 2025

Eloy Jimenez — Signed through 2024, club options for ’25 and ’26

Luis Robert — Signed through 2025, club options for ’26 and ’27

Aaron Bummer — Signed through 2026

Dylan Cease — Free agent after 2025

Michael Kopech — Free agent after 2025

Garrett Crochet — Free agent after 2026

Andrew Vaughn — Free agent after 2026

Gavin Sheets — Free agent after 2027

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By dumping nine players after the 2021 season, Fire sporting director Georg Heitz decisively cleared out much of a bad roster and gave the team flexibility heading into the offseason.

But with training camp almost a week old, Heitz and the Fire still have plenty of vacancies.

So far, the Fire’s most notable additions have been veteran defender Rafael Czichos and backup goalkeeper Spencer Richey. And even with the arrival of promising forward Jhon Jader Duran — signed last year but joining now after turning 18 — and likely the Philadelphia Union’s Kacper Przyby?ko, there is still a lot of work to be done before the Feb. 26 opener at Inter Miami.

The Fire have two open Designated Player slots and pressing needs in attack after moving on from Robert Beric, Alvaro Medran, Luka Stojanovic and Ignacio Aliseda. They’ve been linked to multiple players, but even Przyby?ko comes aboard as expected, the Fire can’t be done with new signings before the season begins under coach Ezra Hendrickson.

“We have ongoing conversations with prospective players and their clubs, and these are situations that we hope to get across the line as quickly as possible, as soon as possible,” Hendrickson said Wednesday. “So we are being patient, but we are starting with the players that we have in camp right now, and it’s been a good first couple days. But we are looking forward to adding some pieces, certainly.”

For better or for worse, it looks like the Fire are repeating what happened during the 2019-20 offseason when they added a handful of players during training camp and in the lead-up to the season. That year, of course, was marred by Heitz coming aboard in late December and then the outbreak of COVID-19, which hurt any chance the hastily and almost-completely rebuilt Fire had to mesh.

This time around, Heitz and the Fire had plenty of time to plot an offseason strategy after it became obvious relatively early last year the 2020-21 core wouldn’t succeed and needed to be jettisoned. Once again, they’re looking for players, and the Fire’s concern is getting the right ones, regardless of whether they last competed in MLS or abroad.

“Well, it’s a combination because, you know, we want to get the best players that are the best fit and whether that be from within the league or from overseas, we are combing the whole globe,” Hendrickson said. “We have some targets, and we’ll see how that goes.”

When MLS-veteran Hendrickson was hired, there was some speculation the Fire would focus more on players familiar with the quirky, challenging and unique league. They’ve been connected to Przyby?ko, who started 29 times last year for one of the best-run teams in American soccer, and according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, will be getting him for around $1 million in allocation money.

Hendrickson, though, isn’t yearning specifically for players with MLS on their resumes.

“My preference is that we bring in the best player available that fits our system and how we want to play,” Hendrickson said. “Now, whether that’s from within the league or overseas, it doesn’t matter to us.”

NOTE: Goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina was named to the United States men’s national team for its three upcoming World Cup qualifying matches.

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The Cubs turned to a youth movement in the second half of the 2021 season, and one area where that was seen on a daily basis was in the bullpen. After the trade of veteran relievers Andrew Chafin, Ryan Tepera and Craig Kimbrel, the Cubs’ relief corps was young and inexperienced. Several relievers made a name for themselves when put in big spots, such as right-hander Codi Heuer, but there’s room for some veterans.

The Cubs are likely to be active in free agency after the lockout, and while they’re expected to make a push for shortstops, there is an opportunity in the reliever market.

“I don’t think you can have a bullpen that is entirely young guys,” president Jed Hoyer said. “For that reason, I think you need some guys that can help them through it as mentors down there. There’s an art to building the bullpen as far as how you get ready, your mentality going into the game, how you approach it. . . . You don’t have all veterans, but I think having some veterans to help young guys is really important.

“I love power pitching. I love our pitching. . . . I think there’s no doubt, as we’ve talked about that. We want to diversify our arm angles and pitch mixes and stuff like that. And certainly in the bullpen, that’ll be something we’ll focus on.”

Here are a few names that could make an impact for the Cubs next season:

Andrew Chafin

The eccentric and interesting Chafin was a fan favorite in his brief time with the Cubs. But the left-hander wasn’t just a calming presence off the mound. He was on it, as well.

Chafin became a staple in David Ross’ bullpen over the last two seasons. When there was an important out to get in the game, it was Chafin who was always the first guy up.

In his two seasons with the Cubs, Chafin had a 2.13 ERA in 47 games and would bring that calm back to the bullpen.

Archie Bradley

There was a time when Bradley was one of the more coveted right-handed relievers, when he switched to bullpen duty full-time with the Diamondbacks. But after pitching for the Reds and the Phillies over the last two seasons, he’s looking for a bit of a resurgence. Still featuring a plus-plus fastball, Bradley would be a great candidate to benefit from a change of scenery.

Bradley was 7-3 with a 3.71 ERA in 53 games for the Phillies last season. If he has the right pieces around him, there’s no reason he can’t be a high-leverage option for the Cubs next season.

Brad Hand

Hand is another candidate for a change of scenery. After several years of being one of the best in the majors, the left-hander was busy last season pitching for the Nationals,

Blue Jays and Mets after being claimed off waivers.

The three-time All-Star showed with the Mets that he still is capable of getting outs, though he might not be the lockdown option in the back of a bullpen.

The Cubs, who have just one left-handed reliever on their 40-man roster, need to add another southpaw. It’s also feasible for them to look to add two left-handed arms in the bullpen to fill that void.

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The Chicago Bears are currently going through a coach and general manager search. George McCaskey had a disaster of a press conference after the season ended. They fired both Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy which was a good start but that is about where the good ends.

Since then, they have started interviewing numerous candidates for both jobs. It is clear that they are both going to get messed up because these guys have no clue what they are doing. Everyone involved has a long history of getting it wrong and it doesn’t feel like much is changing this time around.

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On this date in 1929, the Yankees announced they would put numbers on the backs of their uniforms, becoming the first baseball team to start continuous use of numbers. The first numbers were based on positions in the batting order: Babe Ruth wore number 3 and Lou Gehrig number 4. Soon after, Cleveland announced that they, too, would put numbers on the uniforms and when New York’s home opener was rained out, Cleveland became the first team to show off the new look. In 1931, the White Sox started to use them. On June 30, 1932, the Cubs started to wear numbers as well.

So, get your uniform on and start this week’s quiz. Good luck!

1. Which was the first team in sports to have players’ last names on uniforms?

a. White Sox c. Bills

b. Cubs d. Blackhawks

2. Jon Lester won 200 games in his big-league career. He won 110 with the Red Sox and 77 with the Cubs. With which of those two teams did he have a higher winning percentage?

a. Red Sox b. Cubs c. The same

3. Here’s another Jon Lester question, because I loved watching him pitch. Jon Lester had a 3.66 career ERA, pitching primarily for the Red Sox and the Cubs. With which of those two teams did he have a better ERA?

a. Red Sox b. Cubs c. The same

4. You may have missed this item, but the legal definition of French dressing, which has been on the books since 1950, is being revoked by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This leads me to ask, who is the ballplayer who was born in France?

a. Jacque Jones c. French Stewart

b. Frenchy Bordagaray d. Bruce Bochy

5. On May 26, 2012, the White Sox defeated Cleveland, 14-7. Which of the following are true or false?

a. Paul Konerko went 4-4

b. Dayan Viciedo had five RBI

c. Bob Saget sang the national anthem

d. Jake Peavy earned the win despite allowing all seven runs

6. I’m very excited about Rachel Balkovec being named the manager of the Low-Class A Tampa Tarpons in the Yankees’ organization, making her affiliated baseball’s first full-time female skipper. It’s about damn time. What you may not know is that in 2013, she was an intern with the Arizona League White Sox. What was her role?

a. Hitting intern

b. Fielding intern

c. Strength and conditioning intern

d. Mental skills intern

7. “Baby Shark” became the first YouTube video to hit 10 billion views. Before I apologize to you for getting that song caught in your head, let me pose this question: “Baby Shark” became the unofficial anthem for which championship team?

a. The 2020 Dodgers c. The 2018 Red Sox b. The 2019 Nationals d. The 2017 Astros

8. In the 2021 season, the Bears went 6-11. Who is the most recent Chicago pitcher to finish 6-11?

a. Terry Forster c. Burleigh Grimes b. Steve Stone d. Dennis Eckersley

9. Here’s one regarding the 2021 season: Who hit the most homers against the two Chicago teams combined?

a. Joey Votto c. Max Kepler

b. Salvador Perez d. Jose Ramirez

ANSWERS

1. In 1960, the White Sox were the first team to have players’ last names on uniforms.

2. Lester had a .636 winning percentage with the Red Sox and a .636 winning percentage with the Cubs.

3. Lester had a 3.64 ERA with the Red Sox and a 3.64 ERA with the Cubs.

4. Jones who played for the Cubs in 2006-07 and Bordagaray, who played for the Sox in 1934, were both born in California. New Mexico’s French Stewart was an actor on ”3rd Rock from the Sun.” Bruce Bochy was born in Landes de Bussac, France.

5. They are all true.

6. She worked for the Cardinals in 2012 and the Sox in 2013 as a strength and conditioning intern.

7. You can blame Gerardo Parra of the Nationals for this, and I do apologize.

8. Forster and Stone went 6-11 for the 1973 Sox and Grimes went 6-11 for the 1932 Cubs. But the correct answer is Eckersley who was 6-11 in 1986 for the Cubs.

9. Salvador Perez hit 10 homers against Chicago, eight against the Sox and two against the Cubs.

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